Monthly Archives: July 2017

“DraftKings is looking forward to returning to Delaware, the fourteenth state to pass fantasy sports legislation. We are extremely grateful to Governor Carney and the members of the legislature for their support, especially Representative Charles Potter and Senator David Sokola, who provided tireless leadership in bringing fantasy sports back to the First State. Today’s bill signing continues the progress DraftKings and our industry partners are making towards our ultimate goal of passing common sense fantasy sports legislation in all 50 states. Fantasy sports fans in Delaware will be able to play on DraftKings in late August, just in time to experience what we think will be the most exciting NFL season in DraftKings’ history.”

Today we executed a termination agreement with FanDuel and will withdraw litigation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This formally marks the end of our attempt to merge with FanDuel. We believe it is in the best interests of DraftKings, our customers, and our employees to move on from our original plans to merge, and instead, continue to put all of our energy into growing as a standalone company.

Are DraftKings and FanDuel still planning on merging at some point?

No. We prefer to continue focusing our energy on building our already strong business here at DraftKings, so that we can be of better service to our customers and partners.

Since we began planning for a possible merger, DraftKings has become the world’s leading fantasy sports company. We are recognized as a global sports entertainment brand and the industry leader in utilizing technology to bring our customers the best fantasy contests and products, and we will move forward as a separate company.

What does this mean for me as a DraftKings customer?

Business will continue as usual. DraftKings will continue to operate as an independent entity from FanDuel. Players will be able to use their funds to enter contests as they normally do and the high-quality service you are accustomed to will continue, uninterrupted.

This is an exciting time to be a sports fan and daily fantasy player. We are looking forward to making this football season the best one yet and will have more to share soon.

Will DraftKings still offer all of its sports and contests?

Yes. All sports and contests currently offered by DraftKings will continue to be available to play.

Will DraftKings continue to advertise?

Advertisements for DraftKings will continue as planned. As always, we will be focused on sustaining our media relationships and advertising partnerships in order to reach new fantasy players, invest more in promotions, and drive continued growth to benefit our users.

Will there be any changes to the commission DraftKings collects from contests?

No, this development will not affect our commission rates. We know that there are other platforms players can choose, and we always assess other fantasy sports sites when we size our contests and offerings so that rates remain competitive.

“Over the past few years, DraftKings has become the world’s leading fantasy sports company. We are recognized as a global sports entertainment brand and the industry leader in utilizing technology to bring our customers the best fantasy contests and products. We have a growing customer base of nearly 8 million, our revenue is growing over 30% year-over-year, and we are only just beginning to take our product overseas to the billions of international sports fans we have yet to even reach.

“Consequently, we believe it is in the best interests of our customers, employees, and investors to terminate our agreement to merge with FanDuel and move forward as a separate company. This will allow us to singularly focus on our mission of providing the most innovative and engaging interactive sports experience imaginable, forever changing the way fans connect with teams and athletes worldwide. We appreciate the continued loyalty of our players – it is you who have made this all possible – and we look forward to kicking off what is going to be our best NFL season yet!”

In another step towards giving fans more exciting ways to enjoy the best basketball on the continent, EuroLeague Basketball is proud to announce a new partnership that makes DraftKings the Official Fantasy Partner for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

DraftKings will bring its expertise as the global leader of daily fantasy sports games to help EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge undergo a makeover and to offer fans several new fantasy games and opportunities in both competitions.

DraftKings plans to develop a variety of fantasy products based on the EuroLeague, offering games with the most diverse and up-to-date features on the market for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge has long been a popular companion to the continent’s premier basketball competition with more than 1 million teams having taken part in the contest since its inception in 2003 and that number is expected to grow even more thanks to the collaboration with DraftKings.

DraftKings is an innovative sports-tech entertainment platform changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams and athletes by bringing fans closer to the game. They have collaborated on daily fantasy sports products with an array of professional leagues, including Major League Baseball, National Hockey League NASCAR and the Canadian Football League.

The commitment to excellence by EuroLeague Basketball as exemplified on the court with format changes last year to form the first true league in European team sports is now being taken to other aspects of the fan experience, and fantasy is more evidence of that.

BOSTON, MA, July 7, 2017 – DraftKings Inc., the world’s leader in daily fantasy sports (DFS) with over 7.7 million registered customers, announced today the launch of WNBA. With this latest offering, in addition to DraftKings’ recent announcement as the official fantasy partner of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the company hosts the most comprehensive basketball games in fantasy, globally.

“We are always striving to add the world’s most esteemed leagues to our platform, as we meet our consumers’ desire to play fantasy year-round,” said Matt Kalish DraftKings Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer. “We have had a strong partnership with the New York Liberty for two years, and we are proud to deepen our commitment to the team and women’s basketball with this new offering.”

Founded over twenty years ago, the WNBA continues to experience growth both in viewership and engagement across their digital platforms. Simultaneously, fantasy sports have never been more popular with over 53 million people playing in the United States. Furthermore, per the latest IPSOS report, users play an average of three different sports with basketball, baseball and hockey increasing in popularity.

“DraftKings has been a wonderful partner to Madison Square Garden and the New York Liberty,” said Ron Skotarczak, EVP Marketing Partnerships, Madison Square Garden Company. “The WNBA has millions of fans around the world and the DraftKings new daily fantasy game can only help bring a new audience to the incredible game of women’s basketball.”

How to play WNBA on DraftKings:

In each contest, participants will create a lineup by selecting players listed in the Player Pool. Each player listed has an assigned salary and a valid lineup must not exceed the salary cap of $50,000.

Rosters will consist of 6 players and must include players from at least 2 different WNBA teams, and representing at least 2 different real-life WNBA games. The 6 roster positions are: 2 Guards, 3 Forwards, and 1 additional Utility Player. Late swap is permitted in WNBA contests.